


Modern Manger - A Peterick Mpreg (Christmas) One Shot

by anakinbridger541



Category: Fall Out Boy
Genre: Bottom Patrick, Bottom Patrick Stump, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Story, Fluff, M/M, Mpreg, Mpreg Birth, Peterick, SO MUCH FLUFF, Van Days, christmas baby, fall out boy - Freeform, modern nativity, mpreg patrick, nativity, patrick stump - Freeform, pete wentz - Freeform, take this to your grave era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 12:22:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13146618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anakinbridger541/pseuds/anakinbridger541
Summary: Pete and Patrick have a special delivery on Christmas.Literally the cheesiest, most typical holiday story I could've written, but I can't help it. It's been stuck in my head for days, so I gotta type it out. The situation's probably sort of improbable too, but it's a fanfic, so don't expect it to be too realistic.contains mpreg, mpreg birth, elements of yuletide cheer and another receptionist that's an asshole XD





	Modern Manger - A Peterick Mpreg (Christmas) One Shot

"Yeah, mom...yep, just loading up."

Patrick sat in the middle row of the van, his phone to his ear. He and his bandmates were wrapping up their tour for the year, having played their final show the night before, and were now trucking home through snowy roads to the little town of Evanston, Illinois. It was almost a twelve hour drive from Maryland to Illinois, and that wasn't including stops for food and such. Sure, they were gonna miss Christmas Eve, but before Christmas day had passed, they'd be back home, cuddling in front of a fireplace with mugs of hot cocoa. 

It was currently about ten am, and the rest of the band were loading their equipment into the back of the car. The only reason Patrick wasn't helping was because he was just over eight months pregnant, and definitely not in shape to haul any of their heavy gear. Pete and the others had been nervous him even touring this close to the birth, but Patrick insisted that he'd be fine, and they'd be home with plenty of time to spare. Despite how wrong he may or may not be, as our story will show, he'd been giving spectacular performances with just as much energy as always, even if that meant he'd been taking a lot more naps in the van than usual. 

Patrick wouldn't have given up the tour for any reason that wasn't absolutely necessary---he'd been having the time of his young life. It was exactly what he needed before he had a baby and settled down as a family with Pete. Not that he'd never tour again, but it'd at least be a good while. They needed new material, they'd need to make another album and down time was the perfect time to do that. Still, Patrick was putting family first. He was looking forward to all those baby milestones he'd been reading about online for months in preparation. Yep, he was ready to photograph, video, scrapbook and just enjoy his child as much as possible. 

"I just can't wait to have my baby home again." Mrs. Stumph had her phone on speaker as she spread icing on her sugar cookies. They were a favorite of her family, especially her Patrick, and she was taking special care to make sure there'd be plenty for him through the holiday season. 

"Neither can I." Patrick smiled at Pete, who'd just slipped in beside him. "It's your last Christmas before you're a grandma." 

"I know, dear," she cooed. "I've picked out the most darling little outfit for them, and wait'll you see what I've been knitting." 

"Something for Pete, I hope," Patrick giggled, causing Pete to make sort of a face

"Oh there'll be something for all of you darlings, don't worry. No one in the family gets left out, and those boys are definitely family." 

"Good to hear." Patrick looked up, noticing that Joe had just started up the van. "I gotta go, mom. Love you lots."

"Love you too, dear, and I'll see you tomorrow." She gave him a quick kiss through the phone before hanging up.

"Can I just say, your mom is actually the best?" Pete commented, making Patrick giggle a little.

"Yeah, I definitely lucked out as far as mom's go. She's one hell of a lady...hell of a good cook too." Patrick was getting hungry just thinking about all that home cooked goodness.

"I second that," Joe called form the front. After months of tour (junk) food, he was definitely ready for a real meal. Yeah, KFC made those 'family fill ups' or 'real meals' themselves, but it really couldn't hold a candle to an actual /feast/.

"Her vegan substitutions and improvisations are also so creative, not to mention tasty," Andy added, as the van pulled out onto the road. 

"Alright, stop teasing my poor babies," Pete intervened, covering Patrick's ears with one arm and the baby's 'ears' with the other. 

Patrick giggled. 

"Relax, Pete. We have snacks to tide us over until we stop for lunch." 

"Mmm, yeah, my babies just /love/ snackums, don't they?" Pete cooed, rubbing Patrick's tummy with both hands now. His face lit up with a now familiar grin at the movement beneath his fingertips. Pete loved feeling his baby move; He hadn't been able to keep his hands off Patrick since he found out about the baby, especially once his boyfriend wasn't the only one feeling kicks. Not that Pete hadn't been in love with Patrick's pudge /before/ the pregnancy, but now there was a whole new level of appreciation for every bit of Patrick he had to hold and cuddle. The bigger the baby bump grew, the more excited Pete got and the more anxious he was to have the baby in his arms. *Just one more month...a few more weeks.*

"Speaking of snackums, can you get me the pretzels from our bag please?" Patrick was peckish from the talk of food, and he'd been craving salt lately.

"Sure thing, punkin," Pete replied, giving him a peck on the cheek. He leaned forward, , digging around under the seat in front of them until he got his hands on the alluring treats. Patrick smiled, reaching out for them, his smile fading when Pete held them out of his reach. 

"Peeete."

"What's the magic wooord?" Pete teased in a sing song voice. 

"Gimme," Patrick stated, making grabby hands for the bag.

Pete shook his head.

"Not even close."

"Pete-"

"Tsk, tsk. Your parents raised you better than this."

Patrick huffed, crossing his arms and grumbling to himself for a minute, before giving in, muttering a little "please" for Pete's sake (lol). Pete nodding approvingly, hardly moving the bag over before it was snatched from his hands. Patrick popped it open immediately, digging out and gobbling down the crunchy goodies by the handful.

"Can I get a nice 'Thank you, Petey, for my delicious snacks'?"

"Fuck you."

"Close enough."

**********************************************************************************************

It was lunchtime when Patrick started feeling uncomfortable. He was halfway through his sandwich and fries when his back started to hurt. He managed a few more bites after that before he had to stop, suddenly full, almost to the point of being sick. Patrick rubbed his bump softly, feeling some quick flutters from the baby as his sipped his ice water to try and settle his stomach. No such luck---his head had joined in now, making him nauseous, and turning his slight discomfort into a full blown migraine. Granted, the migraines had become pretty common during his pregnancy, but it didn't stop him from feeling like shit every time it happened.

Patrick leaned on Pete's arm, closing his eyes and trying to relax. Pete smiled a little at his boyfriend's closeness---Patrick was cuddlier and clingier than ever since he became pregnant, and Pete couldn't get enough of his snuggly little teddy bear. Turning to kiss his head, Pete's smile faded, seeing Patrick's expression.

"You okay, baby?" Pete asked softly, putting his arm around him. 

"Head hurts," Patrick mumbled in reply, pressing his face into Pete's cotton clad shoulder.

"Aww, Patty." Pete rubbed Patrick's back, kissing his temple. Not again...it was happening more and more frequently these day, and Pete just hated seeing his baby in pain. "Tummyache too?"

Patrick gave him an 'mmhmm' and a tiny nod in response. Pete continued to rub his back, moving his fingers in soothing circles at the base of his spine. When the tension beneath his fingertips didn't dissolve, Pete slid his hand around, now rubbing the side of Patrick's bump. 

"You wanna go get comfy in the van, baby?" Pete suggested, even though he was almost positive Patrick would say yes. As soon as he got the silent affirmation, he stood up, carefully plucking Patrick out of his seat. Pete instructed Joe and Andy to pick up the check and pack up he and Patrick's unfinished meals before leaving the diner.

Pete slid the van door open with his foot, setting Patrick in his seat. He helped Patrick get as comfortable as possible, adjusting him with pillows and blankets that they stored for late night drives and naps when they were making long hauls. Once he'd gotten Patrick properly tucked in and adjusted he sat beside him, putting his arm over him and his head in the crook of Patrick's neck. 

"Better?" he inquired, looking up at him hopefully. To his relief, Patrick gave him a little nod and a tiny smile.

"Yeah...thanks, Pete."

"Anything for you, baby." Pete smiled and kissed his temple, giving his belly a little rub. "Now get some sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up."

Patrick let a deep breath out through his nose, closing his eyes and letting his full weight be absorbed by the pillows. He focused on Pete's touches and the soft, low humming that he'd started against his neck. The last thing Patrick remembered was Pete kissing him goodnight as the van started up again, rumbling back out onto the open road once.

***************************************************************************************

Patrick woke up slowly, aware of the baby's feet pressed against his skin. He rubbed his eyes a little, cringing from the sting of his contacts. He'd fallen asleep with them in again, damn it. *Keep it up, Patrick, and you'll always be stuck in your glasses.*

"Morning, sleepyhead."

Patrick looked up, his vision clearing, as Andy looked back from the seat across from him. Andy had some sort of vegan dish in a plastic container, which was open in his lap. Patrick took a moment to look around the van, noting the absence of the other two members. *Huh...that's strange.*

As if he was reading Patrick's mind, or, more accurately, his face, Andy added,

"The boys are getting some more snacks, since you ate all the others earlier."

"Oh...right." Patrick rubbed the top of his bump, feeling the baby's feet pressed firmly into one spot. He grimaced a little at that, pushing them down gently. *Lighten up, kiddo. I know it's cramped in there, but-*

"Ah!" 

Patrick gasped at the sudden pain, like someone shoved a knife into his back. He leaned back in the seat, gripping the arm for some sort of relief as he tried his best not to scream. Andy noticed immediately, nearly dropping his food.

"Oh my God, Patrick." He unstrapped himself from the spot, moving over to his band mate's side. "What's going on? Where's it hurt?"

Patrick could hardly speak, pressing a hand to the front of his bump, which had tightened up with what he could only assume was a contraction. God this hurt---it was like a charlie horse radiating from his spine through his entire abdomen. *Fuck, no. Please, not now!*

"A-Andy, I..." Patrick was cut off by a soft pop sound, relieving a moment of pressure. The relief vanished entirely when he felt the water leave him, soaking his pants and underwear in the gushy fluid. Andy's eyes widened with realization. 

"Shit!" The ginger forced himself to stay calm, supportively taking Patrick's other hand. "Alright, hun, start your breathing. In and out."

Patrick breathed through the contraction with Andy, sighing in relief when the cramping ceased for the time being. He stayed slumped back in the seat, breathing deeply and giving Andy's hand a little squeeze. Andy brushed Patrick's hair back a bit behind his ear, rubbing his arm softly. 

"Just try to relax, okay?" he soothed. "Pete and Joe'll be here soon. We'll find you a nice hospital, and you and Pete can have your baby, epidural and all."

Patrick nodded a little. An epidural sounded really good right now, especially after he'd actually experienced a full on contraction. He really didn't like the idea of having the baby in some strange hospital without his mom or his doctor, but there wasn't really any stopping it. *A nice hospital...nice bed...nice, pain relieving medication...*

"We're baaack." Joe climbed into the open side door, followed by Pete, who already had a doughnut in his mouth. His goofy smile wavered when he saw the serious look on Andy's face, and the pained look on Patrick's. "What, uh...what'd we miss?"

"He's in labor, so get driving!" Andy spat.

The doughnut fell from Pete's mouth and his eyes went wide as he pushed his way past Joe and Andy. Labor!? Here!? Now!? *Ohgodshitfuck-*

"A-Andy," Patrick whimpered, holding his calloused hand tighter when the painful tightening came back.

"Hold on, Patrick. I got you."

"And I'm here too." Pete put a hand on Patrick's lower back, rubbing it softly. "Just breathe, baby. We're gonna make it through this."

Patrick nuzzled his head into Pete's chest, deeply breathing in his comforting scent. Pete moved his hand from Patrick's back to wrap around him, holding his other hand. 

"There we go, Patty," Pete comforted, kissing his head. He looked up at Andy. "When did this start?"

"Probably six or seven minutes ago," Andy replied. "He just sort of got a contraction out of nowhere. Then his water broke and...yeah."

Pete nodded. *He just went into labor...we've got time.* 

"Alright. Joe, you're driving. Andy, find us a hospital nearby. Patrick...you just hang on, baby, we'll be there in no time." 

No one questioned Pete's instructions, going about their assigned duties. Pete continued to hold and comfort Patrick, while Andy navigated Joe through the unfamiliar little town. It took them probably an hour, thanks to traffic and snow, but they eventually made it to the back lot of the little hospital. Just looking at the place gave Pete shivers. 

"Andy, you stay here with Patrick while Joe and I get him a room," Pete replied. He didn't want to shift Patrick from uncomfortable seat in the car to less comfortable waiting chair.

Andy nodded, taking Pete's place at Patrick's side, while Pete and Joe trudged through the icy parking lot to the back entrance. The hospital was pretty sketchy and sort of in the bad part of town, but did they really have a choice? Pete pushed through the front hospital doors, shuddering. It almost seemed colder in here, he thought to himself, shoving his hands in his pockets as he headed to the front desk.

"Can I help you with something, kid?" the receptionist asked, looking up from her typing and...cigarette? Pete shook his head.

"Yeah, my boyfriend's in labor, and we really need a room," Pete said quickly.

"I'm sorry, buddy, we don't do babies," she said flatly.

"What?"

"Yeah, we don't have an OB/GYN here. You'll have to try the city hospital."

Pete sighed shakily. Was she serious? How could you have a hospital without a labor and delivery unit!? Isn't that the reason half the people in hospitals come to hospitals in the first place!?

"How much farther is that?" Pete asked, keeping his voice steady. 

"From here, in this weather?" She thought for a minute. "Probably a good half an hour, maybe forty five minutes."

"Are you seriou-"

"Thank you, ma'am. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah." Joe grabbed Pete by the arm, dragging him outside before he started anything. "C'mon, Pete. You didn't wanna have your baby in that shithole anyways."

"Course not..." Pete was still really nervous as he walked back to the car. Another half an hour...no, forty five minutes...plus hospital check in time...

"Hey." Joe noticed Pete zoning out, shaking his arm a little. "It's gonna be alright, okay? We'll get Patrick settled somewhere soon. Then you can get all cozy, you get that baby out and bam! Parenthood!"

"Heh...thanks, J-Man." That wasn't very reassuringly, but at least he'd tried. He managed to crack a tiny smile for his companion's sake, but inside, he was having a panic attack. *This damn hospital...don't worry, babies. We'll be safe and sound before long.*

****************************************************************************************

The woman behind the desk did her best not to cringe when the man in front of her slammed his hand angrily down on the desk. She was trying to be patient with him, but he'd lost his patience with /her/ long ago. She readjusted her glasses.

"Look, kid, I understand what you're saying, but I can't admit your wif-...ahem, boyfriend...into our hospital without medical insurance."

"We can't /afford/ insurance!" Pete spat. "Does every fucking hospital in the United States have a reason to turn us away!?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I don't run the hospital," she stated. "Either you produce the insurance card, or you move along. We have other patients to attend to."

"Yeah, and you're gonna be fucking one of them!" Pete growled, tensing to pounce.

"Sir, I will call security-"

"No need." Andy put his arm around Pete's shoulder, still glaring icily at the woman. "We were just leaving."

Pete grumbled under his breath as Andy quickly escorted him out. Andy got him out the main entrance, before hitting him on the back of the head. 

"What the hell was that for!?" Pete snarled, looking at Andy with sparks in his dark eyes.

"You wanna get yourself arrested too!?" Andy shouted. "Can you imagine Patrick having to do this without you, how upset he'd be if you got fucking tazed!?"

The color drained from Pete's face at that thought. Shit...how could he be so selfish? Patrick was suffering through this labor to bring his baby, /Pete's/ baby into the world, yet here he was, acting out like a child himself! Patrick never asked for any of this! He was only twenty, practically still a kid!

"God...what am I doing, And?" Pete sniffed, sitting on the curb. The cement sent a chill through his whole body, easily piercing his skinny jeans. 

Andy frowned at that, sitting beside him, as Pete put his head in his hands.

"Hey, don't stress out," he said, rubbing Pete's back softly. "I know it's scary. I mean, I can only picture how hard this is for you. Patrick might be the one going through the physical stuff, but you're still going through the motions. Don't feel like you have to hold it together all the time." Andy smiled when Pete looked up at him, adding "We're here for you too, Pete-y."

"Thanks, Andy," Pete said, genuinely smiling for the first time in hours.

"No problem, buddy." Andy patted his shoulder.

"Guys, guys!" Joe skidded over to them, nearly slipping on the frozen ground. "Patrick's, well...he-he said we don't have long now. Something about eight centimeters-"

"Shit, he's at the transition!" Pete shot to his feet. They really /were/ running out of time. "Andy, find us another hospital, fast!" he said quickly, before hurrying back to the car. He climbed into Patrick's row again, making it to his laboring lover's side in record time.

"Daddy's here, baby," Pete said, taking his hand again and holding it tight. Not as tight as Patrick held back, of course, because no one has a mother's strength, especially when she (or he) is in labor. Pete didn't allow himself to feel the pain or even register a complaint---it was nothing next to Patrick's, who'd barely spoken up about the hurting thus far.

"Are...are they...letting us in?" Patrick asked, looking at Pete hopefully.

"N...No, baby. They're not." It pretty much broke Pete's heart to see the moisture fill Patrick's eyes. 

"What-what are we g-going to do?" Patrick cried, as the tears started spilling down his rosy cheeks. "I-I can't have my baby in a car, there's not room, we'll never get this place cleaned up and we're only renting it. Oh God, it's gonna cost us a fortune, and we won't have enough money for the baby and-and we'll end up starving and homeless and our baby will have to be adopted-"

"Patrick! Hey!" Pete held his shoulders, looking him in the eyes. "Look...I-I know...I know it's scary, but we're gonna get through this." He leaned closed, putting their foreheads together. "I promise."

Patrick just nodded slightly, closing his eyes and letting Pete kiss his lips softly for a moment. Pete carefully brushed away Patrick's tears, kissing his head too before sitting up a little. Alright, he was calm. Now if Andy and Joe would show up with their next hospital destination-...

*************************************************************************************

"What do you mean it won't start!?" Pete was gonna lose his shit. It hadn't been five minutes, and they were already having another crisis.

"I mean it won't start, you dingbat!" Joe replied, turning the key again and getting nothing but an exhausted cough from the engine. Really, this was Murphy's law now. Anything that was gonna go wrong would.

"God...well how far is the hospital from here?" Pete was wracking his brains. Maybe they could hitchhike. He would've called a cab, but they probably didn't come to random spots on the highway.

"U-Umm...." Joe swallowed, checking his phone. "At the current traffic, and heavy snowfall...uh, f-five...hours."

"WHAT!?" 

Joe cringed. 

"No need to shout in unison..." 

"Pete...we-we can't..." Patrick winced. "We can't wait th-that long...they're almost here."

"I know, baby, I know." Pete looked around, noticing an exit. A motel sign was visible a short distance away. Pete let out a deep breath, knowing what he had to do now.

"Guys, Patrick's not getting to a hospital. We have to get him to a hotel and get him settled in before he crowns, or we're /really/ in deep shit."

"How can we help?" Joe asked, turning back to face them.

"Andy, get the baby bag, Patrick's bag,and anything else we might need. Joe, try and get a hold of a tow truck, and help Andy with the stuff." He looked at Patrick. "I have to carry him. Someone get me his jacket and hat so he doesn't freeze to death."

Pete carefully helped Patrick into his over sized jacket, closing the front carefully over his bump. He slipped Patrick's hat on carefully, making sure his ears were covered as he caressed his cheek. Pete frowned softly at Patrick's worried face. 

"It's gonna be okay, baby," he promised, kissing his nose quickly before looking outside, biting his lip as the flurries swirled around the car. He pulled up his hood and adjusted his beanie too before picking up Patrick carefully, carrying him out the door. The freezing winds bit at their faces immediately, making Patrick bury his face in Pete's shirt immediately to shield himself. Pete shuddered a little, readjusting him slightly.

"Hold tight, Patty," he whispered, before starting their trek into the snow.

*************************************************************************************

"Room for the night, please."

The man behind the counter looked up, eyeing the couple curiously. One of them, the one that had spoken, was holding the other man in his arms. At least, he thought it was a man...from what he could see, it could've easily been a girl, and he assumed it must be since the person, now that he got a better look, was clearly pregnant. Both of them seemed tired and there was a glint of desperation in the standing man's eyes.

"I'm sorry, sir-"

"Do /not/ tell me you're booked."

Huh. So the other one /was/ a man? He still couldn't tell. The voice sounded lower than most females he knew, but there was a bit of a high pitch to it. Maybe just because they were having a long day...

"Yes. This is Christmas Eve, in case you were unaware, and we're completely booked with travelers."

"Please, sir," the dark haired one pleaded. "My boyfriend, he's about to have a baby."

As if on cue, the red head let out a pained groaned, doubling in on himself. 

"P-Pete..." 

The non-pregnant one...Pete, he gathered...looked at him for a moment, before looking back at the man with the pen.

"You have to have something," he begged. "A back room, a sofa down the hall, anything."

The man thought for a moment. He didn't want to get in trouble, but these guys seemed really in need, and it /was/ Christmas...

"Alright...there's one room towards the back, but it's sort of drafty, and the water always runs cold-"

"We'll take it," they both said quickly.

The man gave them the keys to the room and they were off.

*******************************************************************************************

The moment the room door squeaked open, Pete's heart sank. The paint on the walls was chipped and peeling. There was a crack going down the wall, and the lights were flickering eerily. The bed sheets were a yellow-y former white, and Pete could tell just by looking at that pillow it was just about as good as resting on a cotton ball.

"This.../this/ is where we're having our baby?" he couldn't keep himself from saying. 

"Better than nothing," Andy replied, walking to the second bed and setting the bags on it. "We'll fix it up and make it homey, you'll see."

"Well be quick about it." Pete looked at Patrick, who was just breathing softly in his arms, eyes closed tight. "I don't think he can last any longer."

Andy and Joe got the bed together in no time, with all the pillows they'd grabbed from the car. They laid Patrick down carefully, the bed covered with a few towels from his waist down, and draping a blanket over him. Pete had gotten Patrick out of his shoes, coat and pants, leaving his fuzzy socks on at request. 

"Let's see how you're doin' down here." Andy had been doing most of the checking, just because he seemed to know what he was doing. His eyebrows went up a little as he peered between Patrick's leg. "Oh...looks like you're just about ready, Trick."

"Oh thank God." Pete didn't know how much longer he could watch Patrick in pain like this. 

"Pete, get up there and give him some support," Andy instructed this time. "I'll handle things here, and Joe...where did Joe go?"

"I can't watch," Joe moaned from the tiny bathroom. "It's too gross."

"Oh, you pussy," Pete scoffed. "You don't even have to do any of the work."

"Just let me know when it's clean and cuddly, alright?" 

They chose to ignore Joe for the time being. Patrick had tensed up again, gripping the sheets as yet another contraction began, the pressure in his pelvis building. He had to push, like, /now/, or he was pretty sure he was going to go crazy.

"Okay, Patrick, this is it." Andy took his watch off, shoving it in his pocket to keep it clean.   
You ready up there?"

"Ready...ready as I'll ever be," Patrick replied in an exasperated way. He leaned back on Pete a little, who had sat behind him now holding him up. Pete kissed his hair reassuringly.

"You got this, Lunchbox."

"And...now!"

*****************************************************************************************

"I....I can't...I can't do this, Pete..." Patrick squeezed Pete's hand tighter than ever, crying out from the pain again as it consumed his body. This was too much...he needed that epidural, he needed a doctor, he needed his /mom/ for Christ's sake. 

"Don't you quit on me now," Pete encouraged, making eye contact with him. "You're doing so well. Just a few more pushes, and you'll have our little baby in your arms."

"I...Pete-"

"I love you too." Pete smiled and pecked his lips. "Now c'mon, you got a baby to birth."

Easier said than done. It took five more minutes, making the delivery come up to a total of nearly an hour, but with one final grunt, the baby was crying in Andy's careful hands. Andy smiled brightly at the gooey little creature, starting to wipe it carefully with a towel. 

"Congratulations, guys. You're got yourselves a girl."

Patrick blinked a few times, the baby's cries ringing in his ears. He was vaguely aware of Pete giving his shoulders a squeeze, telling him how well he did over and over again, but the rest was sort of a blur of sweat as he panted to regain his bearings. Then he felt the little weight laid on his chest, his arms automatically wrapping around it. The weight shifted slightly, making a few fussing sounds. That's when Patrick's vision cleared up and he saw her...

Her head was covered in soft, dark hair, just like Pete's after a shower. Her tiny hands were curled into fists, pressing against Patrick's shirt, little feet shifting up and down, as if she were kicking. Her face was a little scrunched and had a reddish tint, as babies tend to have, her tiny brow furrowed in confusion. Her eyes were pinched shut, but her little lashes were thick, brushing against her chubby cheeks. Her nose was a little flat, but still rounded neatly and her lips were pink and thin, parted slightly for her whimpers.

She was the most gorgeous thing Patrick (or Pete) had ever seen. 

"She's absolutely precious," Pete whispered, slipping a finger into one of her hands, and admiring her already perfect nails.

"That's a huuuge understatement," Patrick replied, smiling brightly as the baby continued to squirm in his arms. "She's beautiful...breathtaking..."

"And she made it just in time for Christmas." Andy glanced at the wall clock. "You popped her out right on the dot of midnight."

Pete let out a breath. A baby, actually born on /Christmas/ at /midnight/. Was this happening? Had he fallen asleep watching another made for tv movie on Hallmark, because this was every fucking cliche in the book (said the author as she typed and formulated this story). Yes, it was real. The little fingers grasping his were all the proof he needed.

"Is it over?" a voice called meekly from across the room.

Andy rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Joe, all the gooey things are gone. You can look now."

Joe peeked out from the bathroom, letting out an exaggerated sigh of relief. He tiptoed over to the bed, peeking down at the baby and aww-ing. 

"She's so tiny...and she looks just like you guys already," he said, poking her cheek softly. 

"Didn't seem so tiny when I was fighting her to leave my body all day," Patrick replied, giggling when she made a face at that. "Yeah, I mean you, ya little meatball."

"Have you guys decided on a name yet?" Andy asked, looking up from the notebook he was jotting her information in.

"Hmm...no, we were just tossing some around." Pete looked at her for a while. "All the names I was sort of set on were boy names too."

"How about something seasonal?" Joe suggested, since she was born on Christmas after all. "Somethin' like...Holly or Ivy."

"Nicole's sort of cute," Andy chimed in. "Female form of Nicholas, who's Santa and stuff."

Patrick shook his head. None of those really sounded right to him. Being seasonal is cute and all, but it had to be something he and Pete liked. Let's see...maybe Isabel? Nah. How about Jeanette?...ugh, no. Where was he getting these? No, something that flowed, something sweet, something like-

"Noel."

Everyone turned to Patrick, who'd pulled the name off the top of his head. 

"Noel...I like it." Pete smiled, getting a little tug on his hand when he'd spoken. "Not to mention it literally means 'Christmas' in, like, German or something-" 

"-French, Pete-"

"Oh whatever." Pete lifted the baby carefully from Patrick's arms, cradling her close to his chest. The smile never left his face as she instinctively curled in on herself, nestled into Pete's shirt. "Yeah, that's /you/, angel. My Noella."

"Noella Marie Wentz," Patrick decided, smiling up at them. (He'd been set against the headboard before Pete had taken the baby.) 

"Our little 'Ella."

"Our little Christmas elf."

"Our little Christmas miracle."


End file.
